Stagmatoptera pumila Werner, 1925

Rodrigues, Henrique Miranda & Cancello, Eliana Marques, 2016, Taxonomic revision of Stagmatoptera Burmeister, 1838 (Mantodea: Mantidae, Stagmatopterinae), Zootaxa 4183 (1), pp. 1-78 : 48-50

Stagmatoptera pumila Werner, 1925

Male—Figures 32C, 34C, 36C, 38C, 40C, 53.

Stagmatoptera pumila Werner, 1925b , p.383 (descr.); Terra, 1995, p.65 (cit.); Ehrmann, 2002, p.329 (cit.); Agudelo et al., 2007, p.125 (cit.); Ehrmann & Koçak, 2009, p.12 (cit.).

Holotype: 1♂, no locality ( Fig. 53 ) (NHRS) (examined)

Type locality. Unknown.

Diagnosis. Forewings shorter than the hindwings during rest, both shorter than the abdomen, small body size.

Redescription. Male —Prothorax slender, lateral margins slightly crenulated on the prozona, smooth on the metazona. Metazona with a weakly marked central keel ( Fig. 34 C). Forecoxae with 9 large spines, which alternate with 4–10 smaller spines ( Fig. 36 C). Forefemora slender, the first three discoidal spines black on their anterior surface; 15 anteroventral spines, the first two spines and the big spines black on their anterior surface, the 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th spines present a small spot of the same coloration on their insertion. Anterior femoral spot extending from the femoral groove to the 4th anteroventral spine, rectangular, starting dark on the femoral groove and fading towards the apex of the femora ( Fig. 38 C). Foretibiae with 10 posteroventral spines and 14 anteroventral spines; tibial spur and the spine before it dark on their anterior surface ( Fig. 40 C). Foretarsi absent in the type specicit. Discoidal area of the forewings with an opaque-green stripe anteriorly, gradually becoming hyaline. Spot on the stigma circular, medium sized, reaching the middle of the discoidal area, with an anterior white spot and a posterior brown spot. Discoidal area of the hindwings hyaline with yellow stripes on the crossveins, anal area hyaline with yellow stripes on the crossveins of the anterior half ( Fig. 53 ).

Measurements. Body length: 53.8; head width: 6.4; prozona length: 3.9; metazona length: 15.7; prothorax width: 3.9; forecoxae length: 10.7; forefemora length: 12.6; forefemora width: 2.4; foretibiae length: 6.3. Ratios. Head/prothoracic-width: 1.64; metazona/prozona: 4.03; metazona length/prothoracic width: 4.03; metazona/forecoxae: 1.47; forefemora length/width: 5.25.

Remarks. Stagmatoptera pumila , described by Werner (1925), is known only from its unlabeled holotype.

This species differ from all other Stagmatoptera in having both pairs of wings shorter than the abdomen and one of its raptorial legs is malformed. These characteristics make us question whether this specimen is really a separated species or merely an adult of another species with aberrant morphology. A careful study of its genitalia might solve the question, however, since we were not allowed to dissect the specimen, it is not possible to confirm its actual identity. Therefore, we prefer to maintain S. pumila as a valid species until additional studies can be conducted.

Figures

FIGURE 34. Stagmatoptera spp., dorsal view of pronotum (male). A, Stagmatoptera pia; B, S. precaria; C, S. pumila; D, S. reimoseri; E, S. septentrionalis; F, S. supplicaria. Scale bar = 5 mm.

FIGURE 36. Stagmatoptera spp. anterior view of forecoxae (males). A, Stagmatoptera pia; B, S. precaria; C, S. pumila; D, S. reimoseri; E, S. septentrionalis; F, S. supplicaria. Scale bar = 5 mm.

FIGURE 38. Stagmatoptera spp., anterior view of forefemora (males). A, Stagmatoptera pia; B, S. precaria; C, S. pumila; D, S. reimoseri; E, S. septentrionalis; F, S. supplicaria. Scale bar = 5 mm.

FIGURE 40. Stagmatoptera spp., anterior view of foretibiae (males). A, Stagmatoptera pia; B, S. precaria; C, S. pumila; D, S. reimoseri; E, S. septentrionalis; F, S. supplicaria. Scale bar = 5 mm.

FIGURE 53. Stagmatoptera pumila, dorsal habitus and labels. Scale bar = 10 mm.